RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 120 SHOWN OF 120

Most sparsely populated, Kentucky counties · 2020

Kentucky counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 120 counties in Kentucky that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most densely populated Best broadband access Worst broadband access

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Hickman County, KYKY4,37219−14%

02Cumberland County, KYKY5,99219−18%

03Owsley County, KYKY3,93221−17%

04Robertson County, KYKY2,32522−3%

05Crittenden County, KYKY8,80725−4%

06Carlisle County, KYKY4,74725−10%

07Leslie County, KYKY9,62726−15%

08Lewis County, KYKY12,90127−7%

09Breathitt County, KYKY12,55828−15%

10Livingston County, KYKY8,86328−9%

11Butler County, KYKY12,52029−5%

12Wolfe County, KYKY6,29830−7%

13Menifee County, KYKY6,43030−7%

14Ballard County, KYKY7,59431−7%

15Elliott County, KYKY7,26531+9%

16Fulton County, KYKY6,21832−16%

17Trigg County, KYKY14,51232+12%

18Owen County, KYKY11,60132+7%

19Todd County, KYKY12,97233+2%

20Monroe County, KYKY11,19134−4%

21Lee County, KYKY7,29735−7%

22Metcalfe County, KYKY10,58336+2%

23Breckinridge County, KYKY21,50336+10%

24Casey County, KYKY16,20536+3%

25Morgan County, KYKY14,41536−2%

26McLean County, KYKY9,06436−8%

27Caldwell County, KYKY12,60937−3%

28Jackson County, KYKY13,32538−4%

29Magoffin County, KYKY11,11038−13%

30Nicholas County, KYKY7,94939+11%

31Green County, KYKY11,64439−4%

32Lawrence County, KYKY15,76539+5%

33Webster County, KYKY12,92939−8%

34McCreary County, KYKY17,12440−1%

35Union County, KYKY12,83940−13%

36Edmonson County, KYKY12,74940+4%

37Washington County, KYKY12,36840+10%

38Ohio County, KYKY23,93440+4%

39Knott County, KYKY13,32141−19%

40Lyon County, KYKY9,12341+7%

41Bracken County, KYKY8,51141+1%

42Wayne County, KYKY19,59743−2%

43Fleming County, KYKY15,78743+9%

44Clay County, KYKY19,46543−17%

45Bath County, KYKY13,17646+15%

46Adair County, KYKY19,42347+10%

47Hart County, KYKY20,11747+11%

48Clinton County, KYKY9,13947−4%

49Hancock County, KYKY9,05048+8%

50Martin County, KYKY10,69749−10%

51Logan County, KYKY28,66950+3%

52Rockcastle County, KYKY16,14851−3%

53Pendleton County, KYKY14,80053+2%

54Grayson County, KYKY27,40653+10%

55Henry County, KYKY16,44755+4%

56Estill County, KYKY13,96256−7%

57Larue County, KYKY15,18457+11%

58Marion County, KYKY20,11557+8%

59Trimble County, KYKY8,70157+4%

60Harlan County, KYKY24,72558−19%

61Allen County, KYKY22,53660+16%

62Harrison County, KYKY19,62761+4%

63Letcher County, KYKY19,95264−15%

64Carter County, KYKY26,14965−1%

65Muhlenberg County, KYKY30,63466−3%

66Graves County, KYKY37,05066−1%

67Bell County, KYKY22,82967−20%

68Bourbon County, KYKY20,24370+5%

69Russell County, KYKY18,60871+10%

70Mason County, KYKY16,93671+2%

71Lincoln County, KYKY25,35373+4%

72Powell County, KYKY12,81273−1%

73Garrard County, KYKY18,20774+15%

74Pike County, KYKY54,72175−15%

75Knox County, KYKY29,53278−5%

76Simpson County, KYKY20,78884+19%

77Hopkins County, KYKY45,12784−2%

78Perry County, KYKY26,55584−3%

79Whitley County, KYKY37,29784+2%

80Carroll County, KYKY11,14184+6%

81Johnson County, KYKY22,05187−3%

82Rowan County, KYKY24,47688+12%

83Gallatin County, KYKY8,84088+10%

84Mercer County, KYKY23,73391+9%

85Barren County, KYKY45,64191+17%

86Floyd County, KYKY34,40191−15%

87Calloway County, KYKY39,42196+9%

88Grant County, KYKY26,18197+11%

89Taylor County, KYKY26,76398+14%

90Meade County, KYKY30,69998+14%

91Pulaski County, KYKY67,38499+16%

92Christian County, KYKY70,115101+1%

93Henderson County, KYKY44,255103−0%

94Greenup County, KYKY35,213104−3%

95Spencer County, KYKY20,998104+66%

96Marshall County, KYKY31,659105+5%

97Nelson County, KYKY49,036112+25%

98Anderson County, KYKY25,225118+25%

99Shelby County, KYKY51,243127+44%

100Woodford County, KYKY27,883142+16%

101Montgomery County, KYKY28,822142+25%

102Laurel County, KYKY63,746144+19%

103Clark County, KYKY37,888146+12%

104Boyle County, KYKY31,632170+11%

105Hardin County, KYKY113,482177+18%

106Scott County, KYKY62,262203+73%

107Madison County, KYKY101,696212+31%

108Daviess County, KYKY104,898225+13%

109Franklin County, KYKY52,649248+8%

110Warren County, KYKY149,375248+45%

111McCracken County, KYKY67,553273+4%

112Bullitt County, KYKY86,454277+34%

113Boyd County, KYKY47,751302−3%

114Jessamine County, KYKY57,147308+36%

115Oldham County, KYKY70,986361+46%

116Boone County, KYKY145,316552+58%

117Campbell County, KYKY95,441615+5%

118Kenton County, KYKY175,7791,054+12%

119Fayette County, KYKY329,7511,136+24%

120Jefferson County, KYKY795,2222,056+13%

SHOWING 1–120 OF 120

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES